Hans Holzinger
Johann Georg 'Hans' Holzinger, Baron Holzinger of Syakusen ( July 9, 3520 - December 18, 3615) was a Hulstrian politician of the Liberale Volkspartei who has served in various ministries and positions in his lengthy political career spanning over three decades. Together with Herbert Griesmeyer, he dominated his party from 3584 until the early 3600s, although nominally he never became party leader despite two brief stints as interim Chairman from 3584 to 3585 and 3604 to 3606. Life Holzinger was born in Syakusen/Graaffsberg (Mitrania) in 3520, where his parents owned a farming supply business. After school, he studied engineering for two semesters before dropping out to join the military instead. There, he had a stellar career, climbing up the ranks steadily before entering the local military's own academy where he underwent training to become an officer. He graduated in 3554, at age 34. Politics Holzinger was a political Independent until 3563, when he joined the newly-founded LVP of Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer. He was involved in building the party's Mitranian branch early, but the lack of success the party enjoyed in the rural Crownland frustrated him and he returned to his military job. However, ahead of the 3574 elections, he was persuaded by a friend to run for the Reichstag, and, contrary to the national trend, secured a seat for the LVP in Syakusen South East, a suburban constituency, with 43% of the vote. As one of the few rural Liberal MdRs and a military professional, he became Minister of Defence in the administration of Anne Nishimura. Aside from his ministerial responsibilities, he also lobbied for conservative ideals within his generally liberal party. After a few years on the backbenches, he took up the post of parliamentary leader after the 3584 election, seizing the opportunity when Janina Stadtmann resigned. Since then, he has tried to instill more conservative values into his party's ideology, resulting in regular spats with Herbert Griesmeyer, who would later defeat him in his bid to become LVP Chairman. Nevertheless, their dual leadership resulted in the Liberal doubling its seat share in 3589, winning nearly 17%. Holzinger subsequently became Minister of Food and Agriculture in the administration of Matiasu Fukuyama, which renewed the grand Septembrist coalition. He mainly promoted retaining private ownership of forests by farmers and reforming the farm subsidy policy to a more market-oriented scheme. After the surprise victory of the Nationale Konservative Partei as largest right-leaning party in the 3594 elections, Holzinger led those Liberals in support of forming a broad rightist coalition with an NKP Staatsminister. Herbert Griesmeyer protested the move by refusing a cabinet post and switching positions with Holzinger, becoming parliamentary leader. Holzinger himself became Finance Minister, but the coalition soon collapsed as the NKP dissolved, leading to early elections in which the LVP garnered nearly 17% and nearly overtook the HDV. Before a renewed moderate plus coalition under Matiasu Fukuyama took office, Holzinger, as Finance Minister, passed a luxury tax rate which reduced taxes on high-quality goods from 20 to 16 percent. He then returned to his old post as Minister of Food and Agriculture, and additionally became Vize-Staatsminister. In 3600, he also became interim Chairman of the Landbund after the Mitranian LVP branch was granted semi-autonomy from the national party. Holzinger played a crucial rule in the LVP while it was part of the refounded 15th of September Movement led by Johannes Goddestreu, which united the centre-right opposition against the Communist government of Sascha Meinhof that was in power from 3603 to 3606. After the election of Emilia Lahnsteiger as his successor as Chairman, he did not run again in the general election of July 3606. He was ennobled as Baron Holzinger of Syakusen in 3607. Category:Greater Hulstria Category:Hulstrian and Gao-Soton people